site.btaDemocratic Bulgaria Says Kandev's Exit Reveals Gap Between Government Rhetoric and Actions

The decision of acting Interior Ministry Secretary General Georgi Kandev to leave the ministry is "a very clear and serious indication of the way the country is being governed," said MP Ivaylo Mirchev of Democratic Bulgaria in a Facebook post on Monday, minutes after Kandev announced his decision.

Mirchev commented: "Clearly, he did not have real freedom to act. And clearly, he was not kept in the post because of the will of the current leadership, but rather under pressure from public opinion, which saw in his actions an attempt at professionalism and resistance to old dependencies."

The MP went on to say: "Public relations is one thing; real actions are another. That is the major problem with this government – it speaks about order, control and statehood, but when it is time to act, we see retreat."

Ivaylo Mirchev said that the "Kandev case" is not merely a personnel matter. "It is a warning that the Interior Ministry is once again coming under political and behind-the-scenes control, and the consequences of this will be serious – for citizens' security, the fight against crime and trust in the state," he added.